Boat



June 112, 1923.

- W. B. SHEARER BOAT Filed May 21 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12,' 11923.

W. B. SHEARER BOAT Filed May 21 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 TTORIIEYPatented June 12, 1923..

un te est WILLIMI B. SHEAREB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR T0INTERNATIONAL TOBPEDO BOAT CORPGRATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ACORPOEATION- OF DELA- WARE.

BOAT.

-App1ication filed May 21,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. SHEARER,

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in.Boats, of which the following is a specification.

In my application for Patent No. 206,407, filed December 10, 1917, Ihave disclosed a torpedo boat having a space forward just sufficient inlength to accommodate a torpedo, the deck above this-space being adapted to open to permit introduction of the torpedo, and the space adaptedto be flooded with suflicient water to support the torpedo so that itmay be launched by propelling it through such water under its own power.My present application provides certain improvements on the boatdescribed in the above application and other applications (chiefiy No.278,850, filed January 29, 1919) of mine referring to details of thesame boat. An important feature of the present boat is that it is welladapted for use as a launch in peace time, and in war time is adaptcdtocarry more than one torpedo and more powerful engines. and to producespeedier and more seaworthy boat altogether. Various other features ofadvantage-are referred to in detail hereinafter and the novel points.are covered in the claims. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention. 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the boat equipped as a launch. for use intimes of peace;

Fig. 2 is a plan, with the roof of the closed cockpit removed and Fig. 3is a longitudinal section of the boat equipped for war use; I

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sections on the correspondingly numberedlines of Fig.3.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the maincockpit or cabin 1 is located in the center of the length of the boatwith a tight deck 2 and a glass front 3 and a rear end at in which is adoor communicating with a fair-weather cockpit 5, which may carry anawning 6,Fig. 1, preferably not when in action since conceal.- mentis tobe desired. The operator has his seat 7 in the open cockpit and asteering wheel 8, besides the steering wheel 9- within 1920. Serial No.383,170.

the closed cabin, these two being connected to the rudder by any usualor suitable gearing. A pair of gasoline motors 10 are arranged in thecabin, one on each side, and drive the shafts 11 of twin screws and alsodrive pumps 12.

The boat has a forward space 13 of just suilicient length to accommodateone torpedo and adapted to be flooded with sufficient water to supportthe torpedo so that the latter may be propelled through such water underits own power and thus launched, as explained in detail in connectionwith my aforesaid applications. A how section 14 is hinged at 15 andconnected by an 1.6 and link 17 to a rod 18 which runs to the operatingcompartment so, that the operator can swing this how section up when atorpedo is to be launched. The water then fills the torpedo space. .Itslevel is as indicated at 19 when the boat is loaded and at rest, andwhen-the bow is opened the level rises to the point 9 0 so as to fillthe launching space. The torpedo A. runs on rollers 21 and is held byfiaT-piece 22 in overhead guides 23 which extend through the launchingcompartment and into the bow section as shown. It is held againstlongitudinal movement until it is to be launched whereupon the holdingmeans are withdrawn and a trigger operated to start its motor, theseoperations being controlled from the operators cabin and beingillustrated and described fullyin my aforesaid applications. Above themain deck 24 of this compartment i a supplementary deck 25 providing anair space, which an also be used for stowage of various equipment bymaking the transverse brace 26 as a watertight bulkhead with astuffingbox for the passage of the-rod 18. The transverse brace 27 is open topermit the opera- I ion of the link 17 which passes through it, and theremovable bowsection passes up into the forwardpart of the spaceenclosed by this supplementary deck.

Astern of the intermediate compartment and communicating therewith is athird compartment 28 into which the torpedo is initially passed. Thelength of the several parts is such as to admit of carrying threetorpedoes, the first A. the launching compartment, the second B in theintermediate cabin or machinery compartment, and the third C in thereserve or loading compart the lowering of'the torpedo directly on toand guide rollers 35 are arranged to supthe supporting rollers 32.Thepart of the afterdeck constitutes the floor of the open cockpit/'5,and theseat 7 overlying it is arranged-also tos-wingnup and out of theway as shown in Fig. 4. Fuel tanks 33 are located in the sterncompartment out of line ,with the torpedo and racks may be carried onthestern deck atthe sides of the hatch for supporting depth bombs 34-,and various other articles of equipment may be carried below or abovedeck according to circumstances.

The spacebetween the motors 10 (Fig. 5) is suflicient to accommodate thetorpedo B port it in such position. Communication from the intermediatecompartment to the launching compartment is had through a door 36 hingedat oneside and fastened,

when closed," by the usual .86 shut.

clamping bolts at the opposite side.

a The stern deck being opened a torpedo is lowered'directly intoposition there. It is then shoved forward through the intermediatecompartment and the open door 36 into the launching compartment andclamped into position there and the door A second torpedo is introducedand shoved forward tothe position B, and

a third one similarly introduced and retained in the position C. Or, thesecond torpedo may be leftinthe position C and 'no third torpedo loadedaboard the boat;

. The torpedo C and also thetorpedo B, when one is being carried in thisposition, are

strapped down as indicated in Fig. 4 by means of straps 37 "fastened toring bolts wise from their roller track or shifting longitudinally. v

After the first torpedo is launched the bow section ltis' closed and thepumps12 used-to pump out water through pipes 39 (Fig. 3) from the.launching compartment.

The latter is quickly emptied, the door 36 opened and a reserve torpedoshoved forwardto the launching position.

In the intermediate compartment 1 (Fig.

' cruising radius.

5) there is-space=-at the sidesrot thegmotors for berths 4'0, andthefloor iscom' posed of twohinged sections llwhich can be loweredbetween the motors when there isno torpedo .in the way.

The described arrangement provides a low light-draft launchwhich can bebuilt forspeed and to carry high powered motors. When unloaded the waterline will strike at a point inthe rear of the-removable bow section andeven when fully loaded the draft will be comparatively "slight. The 7storage of fuel is suflicient to give a large Thus while well adapted:

for pleasure or for use in peace time, :she has the qualities of speed,cruising radius,

.torpedo capacity and, comparatively slight disclosed. Variousmodifications thereof in I detail and in the arrangement of-tl1epai'tsmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from theinvention as defined in the =f jllowing claims.

:What Tclaim is 1. A boat having a torpedo Elaunching space and areserve torpedo spacewith an opening through which a torpedo may beintroduced directly *from outside the boat,

said launching space enclosed directly by the hull of the-boat andadapted to be flooded withs'uiiicient water to support the torpedotherein so that it may be ,pro- I pelled .through such water under "itsown power. 5 38 and this will prevent their escaping side- 2A boathaving a 3 forward torpedo launching. space, a stern reserve torpedospace, an intermediate'closed cabin and an open cockpit at the rear ofthe latter, part otthe cockpit overlyingsaid reservespace andconstituting a removable deck over said reservespace. I

'In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. i

WIELLI-A'M B. "'sHEAR R.

